Communications of the ACM
Five Job Trends to Watch in 2017
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Glassdoor's chief economist, Andrew Chamberlain, reveals the five biggest jobs trends to watch in 2017 along with the five hiring trends that defined 2016. The insights come as part of a new Glassdoor Economic Research report, outlining Chamberlain's 2017 predictions for the U.S. labor market, including why automation will start to affect all jobs in 2017; why the gig economy has hit its limit; how data science will transform HR and recruiting; and more.
"With record numbers of unfilled jobs, historically low unemployment, and rising pay, America's labor market is one of the strongest in decades. In many ways, 2016 was a landmark year for hiring," says Chamberlain. "However, technology and automation are changing the way we work forever, creating both opportunities and challenges for 2017 and beyond. In this environment, the future of jobs, employer branding and recruiting is top of mind for job seekers, employees and employers."
Five Jobs Trends to Watch for 2017:
- Data Science Will Transform HR into "People Science": Data science has revolutionized nearly every industry — except HR and recruiting. In 2017, with easy and low-cost data analytics tools for employers, an industry that can benefit from data will finally start to catch up.
- The Gig Economy Will Reach its Limits: The gig economy has been big news over the last year and many expect it to pick up in 2017. However, though many jobs are ripe for gig workers, the majority of the workforce of 2017 and beyond is moving to higher-skilled roles that require creative judgement and long-term relationship building.
- Automation Will Impact All Jobs – Not Just Drivers: Jobs across all industries will begin to feel the effects of automation — especially truck drivers and taxi drivers in 2017. Automation is not going to destroy jobs, but will require workers to upskill and employers to focus on training programs to help employees develop new skills.
- Employers Will Take Action Against the Gender Pay Gap: With the shift to pay transparency that unfolded in 2016, more employers will take action against the gender pay gap by doing analysis to understand the gap in their workforce and correct it.
- Employers Will Shift Away from Flashy Benefits Packages: Employers offering employees flashy benefits like free lunch and dog friendly workplaces — led in large part by the tech industry — have reached a tipping point. In 2017, employers will pull back on flashy benefits because research shows more traditional benefits like 401(k) plans and health care coverage impact employee satisfaction most.
The full Glassdoor report, "Looking Ahead: 5 Jobs Trends to Watch in 2017," includes a look into the hiring and labor market trends that defined 2016.
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